Valve system for air gun

Abstract

A valve system utilizes a main valve body with a restricted diameter conduit communicating between a propulsion chamber and rear cavity and a smaller venting valve mechanically actuated to open the rear cavity to atmosphere, thereby causing the main valve body to open to pass pressurized air in the propulsion chamber to an orifice to power a projectile. The orifice has a diameter at least as large as the diameter of the projectile.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air gun comprising:
 a barrel having a volume;   a bulk air supply configured to store pressurized gas;   a shot reservoir configured to store pressurized gas and provide a pressurized gas supply;   a pressure regulator configured to provide the pressurized gas supply to the shot reservoir at a predetermined pressure from the bulk air supply, wherein said predetermined pressure is less than a pressure of the bulk air supply;   a valve assembly configured to provide pressurized gas from the shot reservoir to the barrel when triggered, wherein:
 the valve assembly is the main valve assembly of the air gun; and 
 the shot reservoir has a total air volume from a main valve seat of the valve assembly to the regulator of at least 1.5 times the volume of the barrel. 
   
     
     
         2 . The air gun of  claim 1 , wherein the shot reservoir comprises a propulsion chamber surrounding the main valve body, a pressurized gas supply chamber, a shot bottle, and a tube connecting a pressure regulator to the pressurized gas supply chamber such that the total volume of the shot reservoir is the combined volume of the propulsion chamber, pressurized gas supply chamber, shot bottle, and the tube. 
     
     
         3 . The air gun of  claim 1 , wherein the shot reservoir comprises a shot bottle, and the shot bottle has a volume of approximately 8 cubic inches. 
     
     
         4 . The air gun of  claim 1 , wherein the volume of the barrel is approximately 5.69 cubic inches, and the volume of the shot reservoir is approximately 9.52 cubic inches. 
     
     
         5 . The air gun of  claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly comprises:
 a valve seat having an external diameter larger than a bore diameter of the barrel.   
     
     
         6 . The air gun of  claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly comprises:
 a valve seat having an external diameter at least 1.5 times the bore diameter of the barrel.   
     
     
         7 . The air gun of  claim 1 , wherein the valve assembly further comprises:
 a valve seat; and   a main valve body configured to interface with the valve seat to selectively provide pressurized gas to the barrel when triggered, wherein the main valve body has an external diameter larger than a bore diameter of the barrel, and the external diameter of the main valve body is at least  1 . 5  times the bore diameter of the barrel.